1. Write a brief explanation of the relationship between ethics and professional responsibility. (Be sure to use in text citations from this week’s readings and any supplemental readings)
2. Write a summary of the way that Claude Ferguson chose to balance his objective, subjective, and ethical responsibilities as a public administrator. (Be sure to use in text citations from this week’s readings and any supplemental readings)
3. Explain why you either agree or disagree with the way Claude Ferguson chose to balance his objectiveresponsibilities as a public administrator given the personal and professional risks. (Be sure to use in text citations from this week’s readings and any supplemental readings)
4. Explain why you either agree or disagree with the way Claude Ferguson chose to balance his subjectiveresponsibilities as a public administrator given the personal and professional risks. (Be sure to use in text citations from this week’s readings and any supplemental readings)
5. Explain why you either agree or disagree with the way Claude Ferguson chose to balance his ethicalresponsibilities as a public administrator given the personal and professional risks. (Be sure to use in text citations from this week’s readings and any supplemental readings)
6. Offer an alternative strategy that Claude Ferguson could have taken to balance responsibilities and ethics. (Be sure to use in text citations from this week’s readings and any supplemental readings)
7. Explain why the alternative strategy you discussed in Paragraph 6 might help Claude Ferguson balance responsibilities and ethics. (Be sure to use in text citations from this week’s readings and any supplemental readings)

For the above paragraphs be sure to provide specific examples and support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. 

 

1. References

 

 Ethics & Responsibility

1. There is a strong bond that unites ethics and professional responsibilities since professionals are expected to show professional conducts and reflect a professional public image.   In professional responsibility, ethics is a fundamental element where behaviors are governed by moral principles in order to produce positive results. Professionals are expected to follow the principles of moral conduct for them to distinguish between the right and wrong actions (Cooper, 2012).  Other important point is that professionals have a moral obligation to adhere to the codes of ethics which comprise aspirational and mandatory standards. According to Cooper, in professional responsibility, administrators should be guided by their inner convictions and should follow objective and subjective accountability in serving and fulfilling the public interest (Cooper, 2012). In addition, administrators should have an ethical commitment and ensure integrity, competence, diligence, confidentiality and fairness. In professional and social responsibility, professionals are expected to show high moral standards, act in a moral way, demonstrate commitment and solve problems morally (Cooper, 2012).  
2.   From the Claude Ferguson’s story, I do not agree with his decision. First, Ferguson failed to follow the norms of the organization and as a public servant; he has an ethical obligation and was expected to follow moral standards. The decision on prohibiting trail bikes is rooted from personal convictions and individual interest (O'Leary, 2009). His decision is contradictory to the formal policy and this action is unethical and unconscionable. The Guerrilla Government is associated with ethical issues which affect the public organization. The problem with his decision is that he failed to act as a governmental agency and consider taxpaying citizens but rather used personal conflicting opinions and created a conflict of interest. There is a public policy paradox which creates tensions and issues in organization structures (O'Leary, 2009).

      Ferguson could take an alternative course of action in addressing responsibility and ethics.  First, Freguson could develop an organization culture where organization members would participate in dialogue and debate for the purpose of generating multiple options, innovation and creativity (O'Leary, 2009). In ethical decision making, Ferguson would use formal and informal perception and these would help comply with informal and formal norms. On the same note, Freguson could respect the voice of the people, deal with the process affecting the people and avoid being too personal. He could value the dissenting opinions and allow the flow of ideas in solving the problem (O'Leary, 2009).

                                                                             References

Cooper, T. L. (2012). The responsible administrator: An approach to ethics for the administrative role. San

              Francisco:Jossey-Bass.

O'Leary, R. (2009). When a Career Public Servant Sues the Agency He Loves: Claude Ferguson, the Forest Service, and

              Off-Road Vehicles in the Hoosier National Forest. Public Administration Review, 69(6), 1068-1076.